What Are Words (For Better or For Worse)
by melicitysmoak
Summary: Oliver and Felicity finally get to say the words that seal a lifetime of commitment. This is a post-5x23 spec fic inspired by Chris Medina's song; my take on what happened on the island and what happens in Season 6.


**WHAT ARE WORDS (For Better or For Worse)**

 **I don't know whether you will agree with me or not, but 5x23 was a fantastic season finale. It left Oliver Queen's legacy on a positive note, allowing his character to come full circle and bringing closure to the last 10 years of his very difficult life. It also holds a lot of promise for the next season, and I can't wait to find out how his life's journey will be portrayed from hereon, seeing how much he and his perspective have changed significantly. One of those aspects of his life I am excited about is how his rekindled relationship with Felicity will progress "one step at a time."** **I was listening to a wonderful cover of Chris Medina's "What are Words" and found inspiration to write what I hope would happen in Season 6 as far as Olicity is concerned.** **This is just my second song fic, so please be kind.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own ARROW and its characters. They belong to DC and the CW. I also do not own the words and music of "What are Words." They belong to Sony/ATV Music Publishing and Kobalt Music Publishing. Kudos to the songwriters Lauren Christy, Rodney Jerkins, and Andre Lindal, and to Chris Medina, whose inspiring back story makes this song more meaningful.**

 **Here is the link to the cover by Peter and Evynne Hollens, in case you want to listen to the song while reading:** watch?v=8koXAxBncaw &list=PLw3h1kzjqW0WKppAgZGDhyYFQpUicCYOQ&index=20

* * *

"Thea is almost at the end. You ready?" John asked, looking down at her.

Felicity shut her eyes and swallowed hard. When she opened her eyes a second later, she replied, "I'm nervous. Not nervous, _nervous_. More like nervous. You know?" she replied.

John chuckled and said to her, "It sounds the same to me, but I know it's different in your head." He gave his dear friend's hand a gentle squeeze to reassure her that everything will be alright. "You're gonna be fine. Just hold on to my arm. I won't let you fall."

Felicity nodded in gratitude as she clung to John Diggle's sturdy, muscular arm.

She wasn't nervous about what she was getting into. She has never been so sure about anything in her entire life. It was the "getting there" that has made her anxious all day. The piece of tech attached to her left knee had just arrived the day before yesterday from Star Labs. Cisco had made good on his promise and delivered it as agreed, in time for Curtis to install the computer chip and run program checks to make sure it would function as it was meant to, but she was still anxious that she hadn't had enough time to break it in and get used to it.

In fairness to her friends, whom Oliver had more than once referred to as the geek squad, the lack of time to break in her mechanical leg was not their fault. When Curtis first suggested it, Felicity had adamantly refused. She had said that, while she loved computers, gadgets, and anything even remotely technological, she already had a bio-stimulant chip implanted in her spine, and the thought of having a computerized prosthetic limb attached to what was left of her leg would only make her feel less human. There was another reason, though – a reason that she had admitted only to Oliver. She had confided in him that strapping on such a contraption to replace what she had lost would constantly remind her of what happened on Lian Yu; it would be too painful to relive it every day of her life.

* * *

Felicity and the team had all made it to the ARGUS bunker just as the bombs all over the island began exploding, every split second at a time. When the first chain of explosions vibrated behind them as they ran the last few meters to safety and knocked them off their scurrying feet, her first thought was that they'd never make it. She'd never see Oliver again, and the just-in-case kiss she had given him would no doubt be their last. But when Slade Wilson grabbed her by the arm and yelled at her to get up and keep going, somehow adrenaline and sheer will power had carried her towards the entrance of the underground prison that Slade had held open. She had seen Quentin and Thea disappear into the hole in the ground first, then Curtis, Dinah, and an injured Rene, whom John was supporting with his strong arms.

Suddenly, Felicity had realized that Nyssa and Samantha were nowhere in sight. When she looked back, she had only seen Samantha less than twenty feet behind her. Where had Nyssa gone? Felicity had no time to process the answer to her own question because Samantha had tripped and fallen. Felicity's eyes had widened in fear, seeing the bombs going off behind Samantha and knowing that in just a second or two, the next explosion would surely be the end of her. Felicity had not thought twice. She had run back to save the mother of Oliver's son – the same woman whose ultimatum had caused Oliver to lie to her, leading to their break-up.

She had rushed to Samantha's side and helped her get up, but it was a second or two too late. A bomb exploded just a few feet away from the two of them, knocking them both off their feet. Samantha had been killed instantly, her lifeless, broken body falling on top of Felicity as she hit the ground. Her body had shielded Felicity's, sparing her from fatal injuries.

Everything had gone black.

The next thing Felicity had known when she regained consciousness was that her entire body hurt like hell. She'd been shot by the Clock King, and Darkh's goons had rained bullets on her, but never had the pain been as excruciating as it had been in that bunker. The Team had found morphine in the clinic of the ARGUS bunker, and John had given her a dose that soon relieved her of much of the physical agony she had felt. But when they cut open the fabric of her black leggings to examine her injury more closely, and she herself had seen the extent of the damage that the explosion had done on her left foot and calf, she straightaway knew she was going to lose her limb from the knee down. She had been right, for her injuries had become infected due to lack of proper medical attention and lack of nourishment in the days that followed as they awaited rescue from the island - the flames, smoke, and debris of which had hindered Oliver and the ARGUS team that Lyla Diggle had sent from reaching them sooner. She had thought it a cruel joke that she'd become a cripple twice. Curtis' chip had been fully functional the entire time, and she could feel the sting of pain on every nerve ending damaged by the blast.

By the time they had gotten out of the bunker and onto the ARGUS helicopters, Felicity had grown numb to the physical torment. However, the mental and emotional anguish had become more devastating. Her only consolations were once again seeing the man she loved and believed in, with his son safe from harm, knowing that every member of the Team made it out alive, and learning that the delusional Adrian Chase would never again threaten anyone she cared about.

Oliver had been there for her this time. Every moment of every day in the hospital – during the amputation procedure and throughout her recovery. He had never left her side, unlike before when she had undergone a series of surgeries and had become paralyzed. Whenever William had not kept vigil with him in the patient's room or the waiting lounge, Thea had taken responsibility for caring for her nephew. The entire Team had pitched in as well, taking turns watching over the boy whenever Oliver couldn't.

Oliver had taken Felicity home to the Loft afterwards, and with her permission, he and William had moved in temporarily so that they could look after her. It had been like old times. He'd carried her up and down her room, cooked their meals and did most of the chores, driven her to check-ups and rehab sessions, and more. He hadn't wavered in his commitment to be there for her and to take care of her. Even when he had run out of paid LOAs and had to return to his duties as mayor of Star City as the City Council pressured him. Even when he already had a motherless son to take care of, whom the public eventually learned about when he had held a special press conference announcing that he had an 11-year-old son.

This time around, Oliver had consulted with Felicity about what to do with William, and after a week-long and sometimes heated discussion, they had agreed that it was in the best interest of William that the public learn of his existence. In addition to Team Arrow's concerted efforts at keeping the boy safe from then on, the mayor's office had been able to justify providing a protection detail for the mayor's son 24/7. Oliver and the Team had been able to focus on keeping him out of harm's way instead of constantly being distracted by having to keep his identity a secret.

* * *

Oliver's actions and decisions ever since he and Felicity had been trapped in the bunker and had that long overdue talk had given every indication that the man she had thought would always go back to his default mode had indeed changed. There was no denying it. He'd learned how to rely on his teammates instead of going at it alone; he had even asked for the help of his enemies or accepted assistance from them when he had no one else to turn to in order to defeat Prometheus, and with the exception of Digger Harkness, they each had delivered, and Malcolm Merlyn had even earned a shot at redemption when he sacrificed himself for Thea.

Oliver also had finally decided to stop believing the lie that he was entirely a monster who enjoying killing. He had made the choice to forgive himself, to cease blaming himself for his father's death and the death of everyone else he had lost since that fateful day when the Gambit had been lost at sea, and to trust that he had just as much capacity to do good in the present and in the future as he had had the capacity to do evil in the past.

He had left the mistakes and regrets of the past ten years of his life on Lian Yu – burned to ashes when the island went up in flames. Upon their return to Star City, he had begun to embrace truly the man that he had become – a hero who had not failed his city and who had inspired countless other heroes to do their fair share to save it. A son who would have made his father (and mother) proud and kept the honorable parts of their legacy alive, had they been given the chance to live long enough to witness it. A father who was beginning to discover what kind of legacy he wanted to leave his son, who at a young age has already endured the crises of loss and near-death experiences. A friend, partner, and lover who has been demonstrating by actions so much louder than words that she is indeed his "always," that he would never lie to her again, and that their relationship is built on trust as much as it is on true, unconditional love.

Love. Now more than ever, with her permanent physical handicap, she did not need more convincing. Felicity did tell him on the last birthday that they got to celebrate that they could rebuild their relationship one step at a time. But truth be told, she thought that Oliver has been taking giant steps forward when it came to proving how serious he is about every aspect of their partnership. Not just once had Felicity thought it ironic that this time, she was the one who felt like she didn't deserve the kind of love Oliver has been giving her – steadfast, sure, pure and unadulterated sacrificial love.

One time she had told him, "Oliver, your life doesn't have to revolve around me. You're still Mayor. William needs more of your time and attention, and-"

"And he has them. Don't you worry," Oliver had interrupted her. "I don't have to remind you that it was you who taught me how to accept help from others, do I?" He had gazed at her with a twinkle in his eye, daring her to keep arguing. When she had kept silent (which was very rare for Felicity Smoak), he had added, "For better or for worse. I meant every word. I'm not taking them back. I won't let you push me away. Felicity, this time, I'm fighting for us. I'm never… ever… letting you go."

Tears had rolled down her cheeks as she lifted her arms and reached out for him, seated in her wheel chair. He had knelt down in front of her and let her cup his face with both her hands. They had kissed affectionately, and after that, she had never doubted his love for her again, never doubted his sincerity in wanting to take good care of her despite her handicap, never doubted that he truly trusted her as his partner.

 _Anywhere you are, I am near  
Anywhere you go, I'll be there  
Anytime you whisper my name, you'll see  
Every single promise I'll keep  
'Cause what kind of [man] would I be  
If I was to leave when you need me most_

* * *

Oliver had tried to convince Felicity to reconsider Curtis and Cisco's offer, saying that a custom-made, computerized robotic leg was way better than the crutch she despised (but wouldn't admit candidly) or the wheelchair she'd be confined to for the rest of her life. He reasoned that she would regain her independence, just as she so much desired. He pleaded with her to let go of her fears… and her pride (which was a bitter pill to swallow, coming from the very person that had taken years to shed the first few layers of stubbornness that years of suffering had spawned. He lovingly pointed out that even a genius needed help from time to time, and encouraged her that the humility of accepting that she needed help actually made her more human rather than not. It had taken him weeks and loads of patience before he finally won her over.

The last straw had been a few weeks _after_ Oliver had proposed the second time, with William standing right behind him for moral support. That night on the dais in the bunker, in front of her ever-reliable computers, and in full view of Thea and the Team members who were pretending to be training, Oliver had gotten down on his knee and held out to her a red pen with her ring run through it, and asked her to marry him. She had immediately said "yes" and had launched herself upon him in complete happiness and exhilaration, forgetting that she no longer had the use of both her legs. Oliver had caught her, of course, capturing her pink lips in a most passionate kiss that had made them oblivious to the fact that they had not been alone. The massive applause of their family and friends and the whistling courtesy of Wild Dog had snapped them out of their euphoria, and they were greeted with various versions of congratulations that ended with a Big Belly Burger feast and a cancellation of the evening's scheduled patrols.

Wedding preparations had immediately begun, care of Thea. To everyone's relief, Oliver and Felicity both thought that a long engagement wasn't necessary, because… What was the point? Felicity had said back in the island that when it came to their relationship, she had already regretted a lot as it was. It had taken two years of dancing around their feelings for each other before they became a couple, and it had taken two more painstaking years of character growth for them to be ready for a lifetime commitment.

Three weeks into the preparations, Oliver had taken a window of opportunity when he had chanced upon her talking out loud again while looking through a catalog of wedding dresses. She couldn't decide which among the gowns she had picked would work best with her wheelchair, because she was definitely not marching down the aisle with a crutch. He had crept up behind her and put his arms around her shoulder and remarked, "You know, Honey, that wouldn't be a problem if you would give Curtis and Cisco a chance to help." He then came around her and lifted her chin up with his forefinger. "Whichever way you decide to do it, I'll be right there at the altar waiting for you," he had said with a reassuring smile.

Felicity had always wanted to walk down the aisle on her wedding day, so after giving it some thought (which had taken just about as long as Oliver prepared an omelet for breakfast that morning), she caved in at last.

Not long after, her vision for the new company that she had been brainstorming with Curtis to put up had crystallized; she had decided that Smoak Technologies was going to be a forerunner in the research, development, manufacturing, and distribution of various technology that would address the medical needs of people and make this affordable and accessible to more people. Their first project would be the mass production of the bio-stimulant spine implant, and then they would also venture into robotics and functional digital prosthetics. Felicity had found hope and second chances, and she had wanted to pay it forward. Oliver couldn't have been prouder of her.

Felicity may have been a bit wobbly standing with one artificial lower leg beside John in her beautiful wedding dress, waiting for Chris Medina's song to cue the bridal march, but her heart stood steadfast and stalwart on Oliver's unwavering love, respect, and commitment to her. She was ready to say the words that would seal their lifetime together, no matter what comes their way.

For better or for worse…

 _What are words if you really don't mean them when you say them?  
What are words if they're only for good times then they're done?  
When it's love, ya, you say them out loud – these words – they never go away;  
They live on even when we're gone._

* * *

"Aunt Thea is almost at the end, Dad. Are you ready for her?" William asked, looking up at his father in anticipation.

"As ready as I'll ever be, buddy," Oliver replied. "Do I look okay?"

"You look… pretty good for a superhero in a tux," William answered, smirking at his father who had been fidgeting beside him for the last half an hour. "You should brace yourself, though. I saw Felicity a while ago when Uncle John and Uncle Curtis went to put on her… uhm… her… whatever it's called. Dad, she looked absolutely gorgeous!"

"She always is," Oliver replied with a smile, his eyes never leaving the other end of the aisle where his bride was supposed to appear any second.

William rolled his eyes at his Dad's cheesy remark, but Oliver neither noticed nor cared.

To him, the blonde IT girl who did wonders with computers and WiFi, and who had always succeeded in making him smile with her adorable babbles and lack of brain-to-mouth filter, was more than just a beautiful woman in short skirts and matching pair of attractive heels. She was the love of his life. She was his partner, and she had always had his back. Even when she disagreed with his perspective of things or his plan of action in a mission. Even when he had taken her lightly, or taken advantage of the fact that she had always been there and had always taken him back each time he blew it. Together with John Diggle, Felicity had helped him rediscover his humanity and find a better way to fight for what's right without having to take a life, even if that life belonged to a low-life scumbag or a highly sophisticated psychopath. Felicity had opened up her heart to accept and love a damaged, broken man like him, in the same way that she says he had opened up her fragile heart in ways she had never thought possible. At some point, between admiration for him and inspiration from him in the years they've worked together, she had fallen in love with him.

To this day, he still did not fully understand how she could say that her life was better because he decided to be the Green Arrow and made her a part of his crusade. She believed in him and what he could be, even when he had almost given up during the Siege. She believed in his changed heart, even when he thought he could never defeat the formidable Demon's Head. She believed in his ability to make their city a better and safer place by day as its mayor and by night as its vigilant protector, even in the face of threats annihilation by the mystical maniac that was Damian Darkh. She believed in the kind of man that he'd become – a hero, even when he had believed the lies of Prometheus, the vengeful villain that had vowed and succeeded in breaking him. She believed in him even when he had quit, put down his bow, and disbanded the Team. And if that hadn't been enough, she believed in him so much that she had been willing to help him bear the burden he had been carrying and enter the world of darkness that he had been living in for so long when she joined Helix.

And what had she gotten from him in return?

Oliver had loved her back, but he had also made foolish choices and hurt her in the process – repeatedly – because much of the hell that he had gone through in the last ten years of his life had shaped the kind of person he used to be. He had ruined Russia for Felicity when he recklessly went to bed with Isabel. Just after he had told Felicity that he could never be with someone he truly cared about, he had started a convenient relationship with Sara just so that he wouldn't have to be alone; he and Sara were so much alike that he thought he wouldn't have to deal with the issues he kept buried in his subconscious. He had questioned Felicity's dedication and accused her of doing a sloppy job at the very thing she was really good at just because he was jealous of Barry Allen. He had kept her and Diggle in the dark about his plans to defeat Ra's al Ghul with the help of the treacherous Malcolm Merlyn instead of trusting his loyal teammates. He had lied to Felicity by omission about his son, whom he had visited several times in Central City, honoring his deal with Samantha Clayton more than the trust of his fiancée, who has proven through the years that she could guard a secret with her very life. When he found out from Christopher Chance that Felicity had moved on with Billy Malone, he took the advice of that stranger instead of fighting for her; he took the easy way out of his lonely situation and ran for comfort in the arms of a reporter who just happened to be there for him, but who could have easily outed his identity as the Green Arrow, and who could have easily and unfairly been used (and was used) by his enemies as leverage against him. The list went on.

If he could only run back in time like the Flash and create a Flashpoint that would have no adverse effects on the present, he would, only to save her from the heartaches that he had caused – all because he had been clinging to a lie rooted in self-hatred and self-blame that kept him bound, unable to receive love that was being given freely.

Love. How had she still loved him after all he had done (and not done) that had caused her pain? Why had she? Felicity Smoak might have fallen in love with the hero that he was. But after being with him and seeing clearly who he really was, and despite the fact that she knew him better than anyone, she was still there. The only explanation he could think of was that after all these years and after all the tears, she had gone beyond falling in love with him. She had chosen to love him, flaws and all.

For better or for worse…

* * *

Even after his confession of monstrosity when he thought he was about to die in her arms, even after the tragedy of Lian Yu, Felicity had still chosen to love him. And his son. She didn't have to, but she did. Yes, she had said from the beginning that she had no problem with Oliver having a child, but that didn't mean that it was going to be easy for her to have William in her life as well. She had wanted to have been part of Oliver's decision about whether or not to send his son away for his protection, but Oliver had not given her that chance back then.

Felicity had her own troubles to mind, recovering from an amputated lower leg and the compounded traumas of the last couple of years. But even then, she still managed to set apart a special spot in her heart for Oliver's orphaned child. Admirably, she had thought of unobtrusive ways to cheer up William on days he missed his mother and to comfort him during nightmare-filled nights. She had influenced his hobbies and viewing preferences faster than Oliver had. She had him hooked on computer stuff in the same way that he had her interested in sports faster than Oliver had. She tutored him and helped with school work at home or at the bunker, especially since they had opted to homeschool the boy in the meantime, not just for his safety, but also to ease him into adjusting to his new life in Star City with a father whom he hadn't really known very well. Their first summer in the Loft as an unconventional family had gone by more smoothly than Oliver had expected because of Felicity's bright personality, her natural charm and wit, and the rapport that she had quite easily built with his son.

Felicity accepted William because William was a part of Oliver. She loved William because she loved Oliver. She loved, because she was that kind of a person. He didn't know what he would have done as a rookie dad without her by his side. He didn't know how William would have survived the past year without the role she had played in his son's life. She hadn't tried to replace Samantha, but William had slowly recognized that she was more than just his dad's girlfriend; she had become his friend, too.

Felicity hadn't abandoned him when he needed her most, hadn't changed her mind when William suddenly became part of the package that she had originally signed up for when she agreed to give their relationship a second chance. She had shared parenting responsibilities willingly, and not just because William was so easy to love, but more so because she loved the boy's father and believed that even in the new role of parenting he had taken on, he would once again overcome.

Oliver had struggled with the recurring thought that he didn't deserve someone like her in his life. Once, they had been cuddling in the living room after dinner at the end of a long, stressful day. They had already put William to sleep and were just enjoying each other's company when that tempting thought started to creep into his tired mind again. He had said to her, "I don't think I could ever thank you enough for everything you're doing for William." She had responded by using one of the most memorable lines she remembered him saying to her during the time of their break-up. "Oliver, you never have to thank me."

"Yes, I do," he had said.

"Okay…" She had paused, thinking. She had decided it wasn't that big of a deal to argue about, and it was one of those rare moments when Oliver felt free to express his feelings, so she had simply replied, "Then, you're welcome." She had smiled at him tenderly, rubbing her palm up and down his forearm as they snuggled up on the couch.

"I hope you don't feel like you're obligated to help because you're stuck with me. William is primarily my responsibility, and I-"

She had cut him short with a passionate kiss.

When their lips parted, she had resolutely said to him, "Just so you know… I'm going to say this once. I love you, I love your son, and I love looking out for him. End of discussion. Are we clear?"

Oliver had gazed at Felicity with even more love than ever. His eyes pooled with tears as he pulled her in closer and replied with an affirmative sigh, "Crystal."

For better or for worse…

Seeing her interact with William and care for him in the past year since his mother's death, Oliver had nothing but admiration and awe for the woman that he intended to spend the rest of his life with. He had no doubt whatsoever that Felicity would make a wonderful mother to their future children, which was what motivated him to bring out her ring one more time and propose.

 _And I know an angel was sent  
Just for me and I know I'm meant  
To be where I am and I'm gonna be  
Standing right beside her tonight  
And I'm gonna be by your side  
I would never leave when she needs me most_

* * *

The music began. His light, his angel emerged from behind the vine-covered trellis with Diggle by her side. Oliver thought she was even more lovely and stunning than she had been on their pretend wedding that was meant to entrap Cupid. He still couldn't believe they'd made it to their wedding day. The mere sight of her took his breath away.

Felicity had asked Barry to sing a duet with her of one of her favorites, which has become so much meaningful to her and Oliver because of everything that has happened in the last couple of years. She had assumed responsibility for the wedding music, and she hadn't told him what song she was marching to, only that it was going to be a surprise. She would have wanted him to sing with her, because she had heard him sing quite a few times when it was just the two of them, but she knew the day would never come when the Green Arrow would sing for public consumption, so she opted for Barry singing the groom's parts from the sidelines while she sang the bride's parts as she walked down the aisle.

In the thrill of the moment, Oliver's lips quivered and his eyes welled up with tears as Felicity sang the first few lines. When she got to the end of the first verse where she tweaked the lyrics a little and sang, "Cause what kind of woman would I be, if I was to leave when you need me most," Oliver's tears fell.

 _What are words if you really  
Don't mean them when you say them  
What are words if they're only for good times then they're done  
When it's love, ya, you say them out loud_

 _These words – they never go away  
They live on – even when we're gone_

Felicity and John had walked halfway down the aisle by the time the instrumental part of the song played in the background. All the while, her eyes never left Oliver's. When Oliver mouthed a silent "I love you," she teared up. She suddenly became overwhelmed with emotion that she wobbled a bit when she took the next step with her prosthetic foot. That startled John a little, and when Felicity turned to look at him, John simply said, "I've got you."

Oliver's reflexes took over, however. By the time Felicity turned to look back at him, he was already right in front of her.

"May I?" he asked her.

She smiled at him, her dimples showing. Her old self would have protested and insisted that she could do it on her own. But she reminded herself that marriage is about inclusion, about leaning on your partner when things get tough. She preached her sermon to herself and let go of John's arm.

Oliver picked her up bridal style and carried her the rest of the way to the altar. He put her down gently when they reached the chuppah, where she finished the rest of the song with Barry. Under the canopy that represented the protective love they had for each other, Oliver held her by the elbow with strong, steady arms as she leaned into him for support until the end of the ceremony.

The vows were exchanged. "For better or for worse…" They said them out loud with undeniable earnestness that their family and friends in attendance can testify to.

They had followed the officiant's scripts, but those were more than mere words. The familiar, age-old lines rang true for both of them – words for the good times and the bad, words of promise and hope that will live on… long after the indomitable partnership of Oliver Queen and Felicity Smoak is gone.

 _Anywhere you are, I am near  
Anywhere you go, I'll be there  
And I'm gonna be here forevermore  
Every single promise I'll keep  
'Cause what kind of [man] would I be  
If I was to leave when you need me most  
I'm forever keeping my angel close_

* * *

 **A/N: So what did you think of this Season 6 spec fic? It's always nice and encouraging to read comments and reviews.**

 **I thought that with the theme of Season 6 being "family" (according to Stephen Amell, HVFF London 2017), Oliver's relationship with William, who now knows that Oliver is both his father and the Green Arrow, would be one of the major focal points of the show. And what better way to cement their relationship than for him to have to parent him without Samantha Clayton, so I have a hunch that she's one of those that did not make it out of Lian Yu alive.**

 **As much as it is painful for me to write, I went with Felicity having been injured seriously on the island. It's not only a catalyst to bring her and Oliver even closer to one another (and to William) and strengthen their commitment; it's also a pretty good transition for her to have a renewed vision and mission for her life outside of Team Arrow that would lead to the birth of Smoak Technologies - a story arc that producers may have been hinting at for some time now and might explore in Season 6.**

 **I know Stephen said that Arrow will never have a musicale episode like The Flash, but I just couldn't help it. Emily Bett sings so well, and Stephen doesn't do so bad either, but since we're not likely to anything like it on the show ever, I just had to take this chance... like it or not. (wink)**

 **Thanks for reading this! I know it's just another post-5x23 fic to help tide us fans over the hiatus, but I surely appreciate you taking the time.**


End file.
